News • Obituaries • Town Talk • Jimenez • Love Fund • Ferguson
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Merry Christmas is on the way. I'm hoping for good weather during the Christmas travel times. My two youngest kids, Zac and Megan, will be driving out to spend Christmas with me. Got turkey and brisket ordered from Gilbert at Hereford Meat Market. Ordered some Christmas fudge from Sandra Berend. We'll have a small family gathering with brother Rick and his wife Sherry on Christmas day. Hope your plans are coming along.
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A love fund for the Robert Saiz family has been established at Friona Interbank. Donations will assist the family with recent funeral expenses.
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First Baptist Church will have a special evening of worship beginning at 6:00 p.m. Sunday December 14. The adult choir will perform a Christmas musical, sing with candle lighting the auditorium, collection of a special missions offering, followed by a birthday party for Jesus. All are invited to attend.
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Haden Smiley earned 3rd chair baritone at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) large school choir competition. Haden and Brooklynne Johnston will be off to audition for state choir January 10 in Abilene.
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Friona high school coach and teacher Daniel Hutchins will walk the stage at Lamar University in Beaumont this weekend to receive his Masters in Educational Leadership degree. He recently received a passing score on his Principal's Certification exam. Congratulations Coach Hutchins.
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Congratulations to the Friona FFA Radio team. Finished 10th at state out of over 600 teams from across Texas. They are Gavin Douglas, Brandon Berend, Brayden Pope and Cole Stowers. Ag instructor is Tracy Blount. Congratulations Tracy and boys.
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The Prairie Acres resident Christmas Party is scheduled for December 16 at 6:30 p.m. Gifts for the residents and Santa makes an appearance. If you can adopt-a-resident contact Elizabeth Romero at 250-3922. The resident of the month is Dickey Garner and employee of the month is Yesenia Ortiz. She works in the nursing department and has been employed since May 2014.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Retirement to Shirley Ferguson. She will be retiring from Friona Interbank, a/k/a Friona State Bank, after 47 years.
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Free pancake breakfast from 8 - 11 a.m. Saturday December 13 at the Bovina XIT Recreation Center. Sponsored by the City of Bovina. Everyone is invited and you don't even have to bring your own syrup.
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The Friona High School choir's Christmas concert is Monday December 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
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The date Saturday will be 12-13-14, a day to do something memorable. Friona grad Whitney Ellis, daughter of Trey and Tracy, is getting married in Lajitas/Terlingua that day, hopefully an easy anniversary to remember.
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Friona's Ricky Rector played a trumpet solo with the Clovis Community Band's Christmas concert at the Methodist Church in Clovis.
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Interesting city council meeting Monday night. The council made Police Chief Isidro Jimenez's position official. He had been serving as interim chief since the resignation of former chief Frank Mooney. It was the right thing to do and well deserved. Chief Jimenez has been the most publicly visible police chief in many years here in Friona. In my estimation he is a fine young man and knows his business.
During his council report he said the department issued 9 citations in November for driving without a license. When will people (parents) learn that you run a risk of a big fine, impounding the vehicle, and being transported to the police station if caught without a license?
He said during one such stop the driver attempted to bribe the officer by offering him a gift card, which compounded his situation into a bribery arrest. Read Rick White's Mayor's Minutes on page two for what else is happening in the city.
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Peggy Monroe and several lady volunteers went to J.C. Penny in Amarillo Monday to purchase the clothing gifts for needy children through the Empty Stocking Fund. They bought individual gifts for 47 children. They shopped and checked out one child at a time, sacking each individually. A nice lady employee kept her cash register open for several hours to process the purchases. Many good people do many good things in our town. Thanks for your donations and for the unselfish volunteers that assist with the Empty Stocking Fund each year.
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Along the same theme, a group of teens sponsored by the Friona Methodist Church went to BSA Hospital in Amarillo Sunday to distribute gifts to children in the hospital. Their photo is included in this Star. Nice gesture and a great experience for the young folks.
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Tuesday Friona Squaws/Chiefs hosted Melrose NM in basketball. Squaws lost, Chiefs won. An interesting sidelight. Friona coaches Bryan Masse and Mike Prokop once coached at Melrose. And FISD superintendent Kenny Austin is a native and graduate of Melrose. He said there were 18 students in his graduating class, 16 girls and 2 boys. Melrose is 54 miles from Friona.
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That's it for another week. Christmas is closing in. Keep on caroling. Until then!
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